SEQUIM — An odor and haze that were never identified prompted the brief evacuation of 99 people from the Holiday Inn Express earlier this week.
After guests at the hotel at 1441 E. Washington St. reported a light haze and strong odor in a hallway, Clallam County Fire District No. 3 personnel arrived at 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, said Patrick Young, fire district spokesman.
The hotel’s smoke detection and sprinkler systems were never triggered, and the first firefighters to arrive manually activated the fire alarm to initiate the evacuation of 95 guests and four employees.
No injuries were reported.
The Sequim Police Department provided officers for traffic and crowd control.
The fire crews split into teams to look for the cause of the odor, exploring every room in the three-story hotel, Young said.
A source for the odor and haze was never determined, and the evacuees were allowed to return to their rooms at about 8:40 p.m.
Those who were evacuated went to the nearby Black Bear Diner or stood outside and watched the fire district activities until they could return to their rooms, Young said.
The fire department arrived with 10 pieces of equipment, including its ladder truck, and about 24 firefighters and support personnel.
